Africa-Press – Eswatini. South African star Somizi Mhlongo will lead the Afro-Fusion cooking demonstration at this year’s Standard Bank Luju Festival.
This was revealed by Luju Culinary Consultant Nosipho Sasha Thorne yesterday during the launch of the culinary demonstration.
Thorne said Somizi would cook using 100 per cent PnP Luju Pantry ingredients, in front of the competing cooks and a live audience.
She also said drawing inspiration from the celebrity showcase, the Cook-Off finalists would be challenged to recreate the gourmet dish, adding their own African flair.
“While he has always maintained that he is not a chef, Somizi has built a great reputation as a cooking enthusiast and kitchen influencer over the years. His recently released cookbook, Dinner at Somizi’s ‘I Am Not A Chef’, is filled with heart-warming, delectable recipes. Somizi will bring his love of all things African, whimsical, and delicious,” Thorne said.
The PnP Luju Cook-Off competition, supported by Pick n Pay Lojaf, was aimed at supporting local food producers, as well as developing local culinary entrepreneurs through prizes which facilitate personal and business growth.
The coveted title of PnP Luju Cook-Off Master Chef and over E20 000 worth in prizes were up for grabs.
Cooks and chefs who have the right ‘spice’ stand a chance to win great prizes and the title of Pick n Pay Luju Cook-Off Master Chef at the Standard Bank Luju Food and Lifestyle Festival on October 1, with celebrity and food enthusiast Somizi Mhlongo as one of the judges.
“Pick n Pay Lojaf is happy to support an initiative like this that emphasises the quality of Eswatini’s food produce and encourages shoppers to buy local, just as we do. The PnP Luju Pantry is sourced almost exclusively from local food producers represented on our shelves.” Mario Fernandes, Regional Manager of Pick n Pay Lojaf, commented.
Important partners in the culinary programme also include Rhodes Food Group, Lactalis, KWV, Emlembe, Southern Trading, Black Mamba, and Eswatini Retail Solutions (ERS).
The competition was going to be entertaining, with a pre-cook-off at the Sage Café in Pick n Pay Malkerns on September 17, and an online voting process to pick the finalists.
With Afro-Fusion as the Luju 2022 culinary theme, and embracing Luju’s ethos, ‘A Return to the African Future’, the culinary programme wwould mix exotic seasonings into a vibrant melting pot of indigenous tastes and techniques.
Entrants will need to create an Afro-Fusion dish, using ingredients from the designated PnP Luju Pantry list of local producers, to enter the competition.
Applications for the competition are now open and would close on September 9.
Online entry forms are available from the lujufestival.com website.
The Pick n Pay Luju Cook-Off competition is open to any resident of Eswatini aged 18 or over.
The Standard Bank Luju Food and Lifestyle Festival, back for its 4th edition, is a lavish two-day feast of music, fashion, entertainment, culinary exploits, and connoisseur-led premium wine and whiskey showcases, taking place in Eswatini September 30 and October1.
Celebrate the cultural diversity and influence of African flavours and book your tickets now through www.lujufestival.com!
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